Man strangles ex-wife; professor injured by wife

PHOTO: The Straits Times

TAIPEI, Taiwan - A man allegedly strangled his ex-wife after a quarrel in Chiayi yesterday, while a Tainan university professor suffered serious injuries in an acid attack allegedly carried out by his wife who refused to divorce him, according to police.

A 32-year-old man, surnamed Hsu, turned himself in after finding his ex-wife, surnamed Chen, 31, dead in his bed, said Chiayi police.

The woman, who had divorced Hsu two months ago, returned to his residence in Dongshi Township Friday to see their son.

Hsu reportedly told police that in the heat of a quarrel shortly after midnight, he squeezed her neck with his hands. But after the alleged assault, Hsu claimed that Chen was still able to speak before he went to sleep.

He said he woke up and found her dead at around 5 a.m., police said.

The two reportedly met last year online. They married afterward and had a son, but their relationship was reportedly poor.

In Tainan, a National Cheng Kung University professor, surnamed Hsiang, sustained serious burns to his face and eyes in an acid attack following a quarrel with his wife, police said.

His wife, surnamed Peng, drove to a police station to turn herself in after the attack.

According to police, Hsiang had been asking for a divorce for a long time, which Peng refused.

They argued at their university dorm in the early hours after Hsiang again asked to end their marriage.

Police said the professor may become blind because of the injuries to his eyes.

The couple met while they were studying in college. Peng suspected that the husband wanted to leave her because he was having an extramarital affair with a childhood friend, according to police.